Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 134: Results of Training

Since Julius and the others joined us, we spent some time immersed in training within the walls of the Shira Fortress, without being assigned any specific missions. It was a relief not to have missions, but we couldn’t afford to let our guard down. Based on past experiences, we knew that after a prolonged period without assignments, a major battle awaited us.

With this knowledge, the members of the Special Operations unit diligently continued their training. Whether Karelvo’s demons also sensed an impending battle or not, they were ordered to train, and the training grounds echoed with shouts and screams as usual.

“Eeey! There, I did it!”

“Wow~, you’ve improved a lot!”

“With this, you’ll be more than capable in actual combat. Ariel, you really have a talent for spiritual arts.”

“Muuh, martial arts are more useful than spiritual arts.”

“Wawa, wait, Lappy!”

From the second day of training onwards, Ariel had been trained in both spiritual arts and martial arts by Tuhru, Farl, and Lappy. Fortunately, Ariel had a strong aptitude for spiritual arts and also possessed a demon’s physical abilities. Though still rough around the edges, she had honed her skills to a level where she could hold her own against ordinary armored soldiers in real combat.

Now, in her demon form, she soared through the air, wings sprouting from her back, and unleashed a vacuum blade into the void using her proficiency with wind-based spiritual arts. Its power was moderate, likely ineffective against the white-armored soldiers, but capable of slicing through regular armored soldiers along with their armor.

After completing their spiritual arts training, Lappy eagerly lunged forward, as if awaiting this moment. Ariel, with a flap of her wings, deftly evaded the kick that Lappy delivered with a speed that, while not truly serious, was difficult to react to unless one was a demon.

Perhaps invigorated by this, Lappy launched a fluid series of consecutive attacks. Ariel desperately evaded each one, and when she couldn’t avoid them, she used her exoskeleton-covered limbs to absorb the impact.

“Tuhru, we’re joining in too.”

“Got it, big sis.”

Since facing Lappy alone would overwhelm Ariel, Farl and Tuhru also entered the fray. Farl, maneuvering through the air in three-dimensional patterns, and Tuhru, exhibiting more power and resilience than meets the eye, must have appeared as reassuring reinforcements to Ariel.

The dynamic shifted to Lappy against the three of them, but the truth is that in a pure, barehanded confrontation, Lappy had a slight advantage. She deftly evaded Farl’s kicks from above, deflected Tuhru’s powerful punches, and as Ariel’s concentrated palm strike approached, Lappy dove into the opening, delivering a body sweep. Indeed, Lappy was a genius when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

“Grrrr! Today, I’ll beat you!”

“Guooh…! Impressive, Julius! Here I come!”

“Gahh…! Not over yet!”

In another location, Leo and Julius, who were both in their demon forms, had stopped in their place to engage in a fierce exchange of blows. While Julius possessed a decent aptitude for spiritual arts, his prowess in martial arts was quite remarkable, as evidenced by his familiarity with fighting.

This motivated Julius to actively engage in martial arts training, causing his skills to rapidly improve. He had progressed to the point where he could stand his ground and exchange punches with Leo head-on. Both Leo and Julius had the option to dodge or defend, yet they deliberately chose to forgo defense and trade blows. However, this was not a matter of stubbornness; it was a form of pure training.

The concept of stopping to exchange blows was a training method proposed by Tigar. As demons, we possessed higher physical abilities compared to other humanoid species, and our strong regenerative powers allowed us to fight even when injured in ways that would incapacitate humans. However, our pain perception remained a remnant of our human state. In other words, demons experienced exaggerated pain from injuries that should have been ignored.

In actual combat, there were times when we had to swing our swords despite feeling pain or discomfort. If our movements were hampered by unnecessary pain, our chances of survival would plummet. Thus, the concept of training to become accustomed to pain was devised.

In this training, pairs of individuals engaged in exchanging blows, gradually becoming insensitive to pain while simultaneously imprinting the idea that injuries of this degree would quickly heal. Tigar had suggested using blades to target non-vital areas, but Zald and Sophie strongly opposed his suggestion, resulting in the current form of training. Despite its severe nature, the method proved effective, leading to a reduced tendency to falter needlessly on the battlefield.

By the way, I suggested to everyone else that blocking one’s sense of pain would be a practical solution as well, but I was met with skeptical glances from everyone and the idea was dismissed. Later on, Mika informed me that such a feat isn’t normally possible, so I’ve given up on recommending it to the others. It’s a bit disappointing because I truly believe it would be the easiest way out.

“Alright, high!”

“Oof!”

“Alright, low!”

“Ugh!?”

“Alright, middle… and now show me your stance.”

“Guh!?”

“You should treat falling on the battlefield as a near-death experience. Alright, next!”

“Ugh…”

In another location, Kelf was conducting training with the junior group and Bolts. He narrowly blocked punches aimed at his face, took a frontal low kick targeting his shins, fell for a feinted punch to the stomach that resulted in his legs being swept from under him, and tumbled to the ground.

I didn’t want to say this, but Bolts lacked talent in both martial and spiritual arts. Despite training diligently in both areas, his progress was slow. Perhaps he was also aware of his lack of aptitude, as he couldn’t fully invest himself, which only hindered his growth further.

Based on my knowledge, while there might be differences in talent among individuals, there is no ceiling to one’s potential for growth. Hence, even if someone has limited natural talent, with effort, they can push their limits and achieve significant progress. However, the disparity in innate talent is a complex issue. Those with talent are strong even before training begins, and their growth is rapid, which complicates matters.

Conversely, those lacking in talent were weak before training and progressed slowly. Through ordinary training, the gap between the two only widened; it required several times more effort if one wished to catch up. In fact, among master Alexander’s subordinates, there should have been someone who earned his place in the Dragonblood Knights through diligent effort.

If Bolts were to exert an equal amount of effort as that knight did, he could become one of the most powerful members of the unit. However, it would be impossible unless he himself became motivated. At the very least, I wanted him to attain the minimum level of skill to endure against the regular armored soldiers.

“Gaoooooo!”

“Grrrrrrrrrr!”

As I observed the three of them, I continued sparring with Tigar and Zald. Zald accurately aimed for my vital points with his claws, weaving a mix of feints and real attacks, while Tigar’s combination focused on strikes with the elbow, occasionally punctuated by powerful kicks.

I restricted myself from using my tail, which put me on the defensive. However, conversely, I was capable of defending myself. I wasn’t overwhelmed and crushed. Reversing the situation from here was entirely feasible.

“Gaooo, Ooah!?”

“Hmph!”

I deliberately stepped forward as Tigar’s kick aimed for my abdomen. Tigar’s kick held enough force to shatter my exoskeleton in a single hit if it landed squarely, but that was if his toes made contact. If they didn’t, the damage would diminish to less than half.

I caught the kick with my flank and simultaneously clasped Tigar’s thigh. Then I swept his supporting leg and brought him down before delivering an elbow strike to his face.

“Grrrooah…!”

“Grrrlugh!”

Although Tigar blocked the elbow strike by crossing his arms, he couldn’t completely deflect the impact, resulting in his arm bones breaking. Before I could give the finishing blow to the groaning Tigar, Zald’s piercing attack approached my throat.

Not attacking me from behind was a tactical choice, as they knew I had no blind spots. Rather than maneuvering around to attack from behind, the decision was to seize the opportunity with both of Tigar’s arms engaging my arms in order to take me down. A truly thoughtful judgment by Zald.

“Wha!?”

“Ungh!”

However, they were still one step away from taking me down. Even with my tail restricted from use and both arms occupied, there was something I could use beyond Zald’s reach. On my cheek, I had a pair of small pincers. With these two pincers, I firmly seized and blocked Zald’s piercing strike.

I forcefully shook my head and pulled Zald, whose eyes widened in astonishment, closer toward me. Opening the pincers, I released Zald and delivered a headbutt to his forward-leaning face.

“Gruuaah!?”

“Garuooo!”

Zald staggered back as he clutched his nose. Meanwhile, Tigar, who had been grappling, exerted all his strength, pushing his folded leg against my abdomen. Without resisting his force, I kicked the ground and stepped back.

Zald shook his head vigorously to shake off the pain, and Tigar, making a creaking sound with his arm, stood up. Zald, who had only taken a headbutt, seemed to have suffered minor injuries, and Tigar’s arms appeared to have healed, given that he was moving them. They were still capable of fighting.

“Hey! My disciple! Where are you?”

As the three of us, including myself, readied ourselves for another clash, a booming voice echoed throughout the entire training ground. Only one person could confidently address the demon group with such a thunderous shout and speak of disciples and such in such a manner. Yes, it was none other than my master, Alexander.

Tigar and Zald, who were familiar with master, exchanged glances and lowered their stances. Without a doubt, this meant I had to go and meet him. After entrusting the training of the other demons to the two of them, I dashed towards master.

“Apologies for the wait, Master.”

“Good to see your spirit! Gahahaha!”

As I reverted from my demon form and bowed to my master, he laughed heartily and slapped my back with enthusiasm. Every time I get hit by Master’s robust arm, it hurts, so I wish he’d give me a break. Despite repeatedly mentioning it, he never paid heed to such things, so I had given up on pointing it out.

“Master, what brings you here? Is it for a joint training session?”

My master could only have two reasons for coming all the way to this training ground. One was to extend an invitation for a joint training session. The Special Operations unit had occasionally been invited to participate in joint training with several knight orders, including the Dragonblood Knights.

This was because master held our squad’s combat abilities in high regard. We, on our part, welcomed the opportunity to engage with seasoned knights in combat rather than the lower-ranked Karelvo’s demons.

However, there was another reason, one that wasn’t so welcoming. And considering the timing, my intuition was leaning toward the latter.

“It would have been nice if that was the case! It’s war! And not just any war, this time it’s going to be a major one!”

As expected, it turned out to be the unwelcome reason. Master was a formidable force, even on the central front. Being in a position where he was among the first to receive information decided upon by the central front command, he would sometimes come to us with information that concerned us. That was the second reason.

It seemed that the battle was finally about to begin. Moreover, considering master had described it as “major”, it was likely going to be a battle involving the mobilization of numerous soldiers. It could potentially be the war that had been rumored to determine the course of this invasion campaign. I hope to secure a victory with minimal casualties. With that wish in mind, I listened closely as master provided me with the details.

*****************

TN: Master used here is shisho, as in training master or martial arts teacher.